Monday, June 08, 2009

If you are a native Rhode Islander, then you know that it is only a short car ride to the beach. Rhode Island is widely known for it's lovely shoreline which it shares with nearby Connecticut. It is here, in an area called "South County" where many generations of my family lived farmed, fished, swam and enjoyed the clean, seashelled beaches.

Sand in between your toes, stories of the Great Hurricane of 1938, sunburned noses and fried clams at Rocky Point tells the world that you know about Kings county which is now Washington county, Rhode Island.

This photo of myself and my maternal grandmother taken at the Bonnet Shores Beach Club during the summer of 1956 may not be the most flattering picture of me in a bathing suit but it is a favorite and precious moment frozen in time. My mother has written on the back, "How about that tummy!" as she was very sensitive about my weight being a fashion conscious person.

Earlier in time, my mother bought matching swimsuits for my father, herself and me. What is a fashion faux pas today is a fond memory for many of us baby boomers!

My grandparents owned both a house and a cabana and I spent many summers enjoying the smells and sounds of the beach. When the sun got too much for us, we sat in the shade outside the cabana enjoying a grilled hot dog from the concession stand with a "Hoodsie Cup" ice cream treat. This photo of my grandmother and myself is reminiscent of those days.

Yes, Les, how could I have forgotten that! However, if I mentioned all the summer food of little Rhody and the area, I'd get no genealogical research done and my tummy might be even much larger than it is now (and in that photo. Thanks for your comment! It makes writing such posts worth the time.